BALINGIAN Newly-appointed Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem came under fire today for barring federal PKR leaders from entering Sarawak to campaign for Saturday’s Balingian by-election.

“Adenan is abusing his powers, and he has become the new tyrant of Sarawak,” Sarawak PKR director of operations for the Balingian by-election See Chee How said today.

 

“He has been chief minister for slightly more than a month and he has already acted like a tyrant. It is very bad. We will seek a judicial review,” See, who is Sarawak PKR vice-chairperson and Batu Lintang assemblyperson said.

He was referring to the three top PKR leaders who were turned back today when they arrived at the Sibu airport to campaign for PKR candidate Abdul Jalil Bujang.

The three - PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, vice-president Tian Chua and strategy director Rafizi Ramli - were deported back to Kuala Lumpur later in the afternoon.

Saifuddin arrived in Sibu at 11am and was told that the Chief Minister's Office had barred him from entering the state.

Rafizi and Tian Chua who arrived in Sibu in the afternoon and were also forced to fly back to Kuala Lumpur.

See said Adenan had earlier given his assurance that political leaders would not be barred from entering Sarawak to campaign in Balingian, but yet he had done the opposite.

Sarawak moved a step back in democracy

“He gave the assurance on March 22, and yet on that same day, the list of opposition leaders from PKR, DAP and PAS to be barred from entering Sarawak was prepared by the Chief Minister’s Office, on Adenan’s orders.

“His action takes Sarawak a step back in democracy,” he said, adding that by barring the entry of the MPs, Adenan had abused and misused his powers.

It is understood that a number of Pakatan Rakyat leaders are in the list.

The state has the authority to bar religious bigots, trouble-makers and racists from entering Sarawak, under Section 66 of the Immigration Act, but this section is subject to Sections 67 and 68.

It means that the state cannot bar federal government officers from coming to Sarawak, which includes MPs, since they are the people’s elected representatives, See said.

“From his action, Adenan is the new tyrant of Sarawak,” he said. Former chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud has often barred several opposition and non-governmental organisations leaders from entering Sarawak.

Taib had ruled Sarawak with an iron fist, said See, a behaviour that Adenan was also now taking over.

Meanwhile, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has been allowed to enter Sarawak. He is now in Balingian campaigning  for the PKR candidate.

It has been speculated that Anwar is one of those in the list the Chief Minister’s Office prepared to bar entry into the state.